Photoshop on the Go? There’s An App For That.

(Image courtesy of Gizmodo)

With the advent of creative and design applications, like Brushes, that take full advantage of the multi or capacitative touch of mobile devices, it’s about time that Adobe finally takes the plunge. Gizmodo, hot on the technological, grapevine trail, most recently authored a feature article on this piece of app-breaking news.

Altogether there will be three, Photoshop touch apps available on day of launch, which coincides with the release of Adobe CS 5.5. My personal favorite is the Adobe Nav for Photoshop CS 5. This is a dream come true for the designer on-the-go, as it will wirelessly and simultaneously synchronize work created on your mobile device, be it tablet or smartphone, to your desktop Photoshop. While this technology may sound exclusive only to Adobe products, the Nav will be compatible with other painting or photo editing apps that are also engineered to operate with Photoshop. Talk about complete creative freedom and control!

Content is $ocial Currency

Brands and publishers are creating lots of content for the web, but how much of it is really valuable? Take a look at this presentation I gave on November 8, 2010 at the Cool Social Media Gravity Summit about this very topic. Hope you find it valuable

Life as Captured by YouTube

It’s a new documentary, a video time capsule, a social media filmmaking experiment. Life in a Day is YouTube’s newest digital video project that pairs Ridley Scott (producer), Kevin MacDonald (director), and YouTube users everywhere (cinematographers) to document the 24th of July, 2010. What will that day look like?

That feels kinda apocalyptic, but it is certainly a cool idea!

I’m Walking on…

I recently noticed some kids sporting those cool sneakers that lit up as they ran around the house and thought to myself how much I would have enjoyed those shoes when I was their age…well, if you’re an adult like me and want in on some of that fun now, for $2,495 you can enjoy the same (almost) experience with Jimmy Choo ‘Zappa’ Sandals–though they’re probably much harder to run around in. Combining fashion and technology, the batteries in these eye-catching illuminated paltforms will last for about 100 hours of continuous use. See more images here.

The Born-Digital

You’ve officially made it big. BIG. HUGE. Fans want to see your sketches, notes, anything to give some insight into your creative genius.

But all of that goodness is on your Mac that’s now 15 years old. How are you going to do that?

If you’re Salman Rushdie, you can point them to your archive displayed at Emory University. Users can now log on and investigate his desktop, open files and check out his apps. As we all move towards a “born-digital” workflow, this shows us a glimpse of how retrospectives of great work may look in the future.

So before you log off tonight–don’t forget to clean up those desktops and stickies!

A Brand as Storyteller

ABSOLUT is part iconic brand, part master storyteller.

Think about it. For decades, ABSOLUT managed to tell countless memorable stories with just one bottle and a two-word headline. The campaign won every industry award and filled a 100 page+ book.

A while ago, though, the bottle campaign that put them on the map was layed to rest, and the brand struggled to reinvent itself and find its place on a top shelf crowded with super-premium, vanity vodka brands.

Art, music and fashion had always been the brand pillars upon which they told their magnificent stories. But when French conglomerate, Pernod Ricard, purchased them in 2008 no one really knew what the next chapter would be for world’s FIRST premium vodka.

It’s now 2010, and the state of the global economy has put a damper on the party. Companies in every industry have shifted their messaging to focus on value and price. And luxury brands have lost their Teflon coating.

So what’s a vodka brand to do?

Well, I’m happy to share that ABSOLUT has gone back to telling great stories. This time using digital and social media to create a format unrestricted by the dimensions of a magazine’s back cover or the run time of a late-night TV spot…

In this stunning 15 minute black-and white documentary, directed by legendary rock n’ roll photographer, Danny Clinch, ABSOLUT tells the story of Jay-Z and the city (NYC) that inspires his creativity.

So what does this have to do with vodka, you may ask…

Well, at first glance… nothing. But somewhere along the way, a simple product became a powerful storyteller. And if in this media-saturated world in which we live, a brand can capture your attention, engage your curiosity and inspire your own creativity, well, that’s one brand someone might just be inclined to ask for by name.

A toast to ABSOLUT and its newest muse, Jay-Z. Skål.

Let’s Get Physical

Presented by The Academy of Archivists

This month, we’re getting back to life – back to reality. Come mix with our panel of top creatives who draw inspiration and ideas from the real world, using it as fodder for a unique online presence. Join us for a discussion on the evolution of traditional art and media in the digital age.

We’ll also be getting in touch with our inner child, so come ready for some DIY fun.

SPEAKERS
Claire Cottrell & Alison Williams, Co-Founders – The Academy of Archivists

Vanessa De Vargas, Owner/Designer – Turquoise

Maria Haedike, Artist – Creative Thursday

Christina De La Cruz, Art Director

Jessica Sanders, Director – Altina Films, Nonfiction

MODERATOR
Kim Hoang, Senior Art Director, Weber Shandwick

November 11, 2009 / 7-10 PM

caviar
900 Pacific Ave., Venice, CA 90291 Map
www.SheSaysUS.org

PARKING: Street oarking is available east of caviar om Main Street or Abbot Kinney.

This event is free to women who are involved with or interested in digital marketing and advertising. To RSVP for this FREE event, click here.

Note: Space is limited.

When Life Hands You Lemons…

“More than 70,000 advertising professionals have lost their jobs in this “Great Recession.” Lemonade is about what happens when people who were once paid to be creative in advertising are forced to be creative with their own lives.”

For more information and updates on the film’s release, visit their website.

SheSays LA: The Digital Diet

(left to right) Marisa Wasser, Kat Egan, Tara Settembre, Erika Levy, Kim Hoang, Rebecca Orlov

This past Thursday, Wiredrive hosted the August SheSays LA event, featuring a roundtable discussion, The Digital Diet: You Are What You Tweet. A remarkable panel of digital divas came out to share insights and tips on how to manage and balance our digital lives as the line between work and play continues to blur. Over 50 professional women attended the event, which concluded with a networking session following the discussion.

Our panel included:
Kim Hoang, Senior Art Director, Weber Shandwick; Director, SheSays LA (Moderator)
Erika Levy, VP, Sales & Marketing, Wiredrive
Kat Egan, Co-Founder/CEO, Exopolis
Marisa Wasser, Senior Producer, Deutsch; Blogger, Hey You Listen Up
Tara Settembre, Account Supervisor, Weber Shandwick; Blogger, When Tara Met Blog
Rebecca Orlov, Blogger, Blog Out Loud; Freelance New Media Producer

Our grand prize was donated by renowned photographer Bonnie Schiffman who also loaned us pieces featuring notable female figures from her collection for the evening’s event. She has shot hundreds of celebrities for Rolling Stone and she offered to print and sign an 11 x 14 photo of the winner’s choice.

Special thanks to The Ultimate Beauty Companies for providing all attendees with samples of N.4 hair products. N.4 High Performance Hair Care is 100% vegan, gluten-free, sulfate-free and paraben-free. Find these fabulous, high-end products in the following locations:

Mark Slicker Salon (Westwood)
Fred Segal
Argyle Salon and Spa at Sunset Towers
dearinger

More photos from the evening’s event can be found here. Video recap of the evening’s discussion will be posted soon, so stay tuned. In the meantime, you can keep in touch with SheSays online:

Facebook: Join the SheSays Global Group
Facebook: Join the SheSays LA Group
Facebook: Become a SheSays LA Fan
Twitter: Follow SheSays

UPDATE: Watch the video recap of the evening’s event

SheSays LA: The Digital Diet – You Are What You Tweet

As the line between our online personal and professional lives are blurring (and the amount of information we ingest increases) striking a balance between the two is becoming a greater challenge.

Join us for a round table exploration of blogs, tweets and social networking sites with digital divas from PR and advertising. We’ll seek a deeper understanding and share strategies for making our own statements.

Our speakers include:
Kim Hoang, Senior Art Director, Weber Shandwick; SheSays LA Director (Moderator)
Erika Levy, VP, Sales & Marketing, Wiredrive
Kat Egan, Co-Founder/CEO, Exopolis
Marisa Wasser, Senior Producer, Deutsch; Blogger, Hey You Listen Up
Tara Settembre, Account Supervisor, Weber Shandwick; Blogger, When Tara Met Blog
Rebecca Orlov, Blogger, Blog Out Loud; Freelance New Media Producer

August 20, 2009 / 7-9:30 PM (Panel), 9:30-10:30 (Networking)
Wiredrive
4216 3/4 Glencoe Ave., Marina Del Rey, CA 90292 Map
www.SheSaysUS.org

PARKING: Free parking is available in the front or back of the Wiredrive Studio. There is a giant parking lot for Ground Zero, Logan and several other buildings. You can enter that parking lot and park to the far left against the back wall. Wiredrive’s rear entrance has a white fence and will be well marked. You can also park in the front of the building, which you can enter through a narrow driveway just on the other side of the Ground Zero parking lot entrance.

This event is free to women who are involved with or interested in digital marketing and advertising. To RSVP for this FREE event, click here.

Note: Space is limited. Please RSVP by August 17.